Mechanico-hydraulic power and control unit



July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 30 MOTOR CL TC 2,; r 4: Z8 Z6 2 4 y;

26 sum Box 6 cm W o 0 U as mmum. MANUAL S'TOP [sne'r c vc L E5 0/? INVENTOR [A s a. A Tnomm'm UgQW A ORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 v a/ /W////U/ r// INVENTOR. EARL A. THOMPSON WWW 17M 4: V i Q 7 '1 llllll July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT l7 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 INVENTOR. EARL A. THOMPSON FIG. 4-

ATTORNEY 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWBRAND CONTROL] UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 July 15, 1969 EARL A. Ti fil fi g N -$4 July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT 421. A. momma:

A TTOPNE V July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Shets-Sheet 0 avg law a. /WW, /A y L LII 250 2 IN VEN TOR. 5421. 4. THOMPSON JMM I ATJ'ORNEV July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR [Am A THaMPSo/v 1/ 9 KW ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR 5A RL A THOMPSON JQFM ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 A 552 q a INVENTOR EA R z. A THOMPSON ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 l? Sheets-Sheet 10 27 15 saoe INVENTOR ARL A THaM Pro/v BY J 6M ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 H O Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 SheetsSheet l1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 5, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 I N VENTOR 3' EARL A 77-?0MPSo/v- JfiW ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E A. THOMPSON 26,623

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 A l I v I L/ /////l3/vW// //LQ' QB INVENTOR EARL A THOMPfo/V E JMW ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MBCHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 INVENTOR EARL A THOMPS' N ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR 51m A THO/IP50 8 BY =71? KM ATTORNEY July 15, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC rowan AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 16 533 saw saa sen- INVENTOR EARL A Tnom PSa/V t/fi m f I. mmmm W\\ Q um C ATTORNEY y 5, 1969 E. A. THOMPSON Re. 26,628

MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Original Filed Jan. 8, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 IN V EN TOR. EARL A. FIOMPJON A T TOPNE Y United States Patent 26,628 MECHANICO-HYDRAULIC POWER AND CONTROL UNIT Earl A. Thompson, deceased, late of Bloomfield Hills,

Mich., by Elizabeth F. Thompson, Bloomfield Hills, Paul Franseth, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Michael M. Wild, Royal Oak, Mich., joint executors, assignors to Earl A. Thompson Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mich. Original No. 3,198,026, dated Aug. 3, 1965, Ser. No.

179,178, Mar. 12, 1962, which is a division of application Ser. No. 707,802, Jan. 8, 1958, now Patent No. 3,071,929, dated Jan. 8, 1963. Application for reissue July 31, 1967, Ser. No. 665,649

Int. Cl. Fb 7/10,1/06, 15/18 U.S. Cl. 6054.5 21 Claims Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hydraulic driving and controlling mechanism for operating machine elements in a predetermined program of motions includes a cam shaft which operates a number of hydraulic pulsators or pressure generators each of which forms part of a hydraulic link which includes a hydraulic receiver or motor. Each pulsator has a displacement greater than its corresponding receiver. After the end of the outgoing stroke of the receiver liquid is discharged from the link through a release valve by continuing movement of the pulsator. It is discharged into an adjacent reservoir near the bottom of the reservoir. The reservoir is maintained under pressure. After the end of the return stroke of the receiver, liquid is drawn. from near the bottom of the reservoir into the hydraulic link through a replenishing or check valve. Each relief valve and its associated check valve are connected to the reservoir by short unobstructed paths and arranged so that liquid is drawn into the link from a quiet body of liquid separated by the valve structure from the discharge path. The cam shaft is driven by a change speed device so that it can be operated at difierent speeds during portions of each revolution, for the purpose, for example, of advancing and returning the machine elements at difierent speeds.

This is a division of this inventors co-pending application Serial No. 707,802, filed Jan. 8, 1958, for Mechanico-Hydranlic Power and Control Unit, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, no Patent No. 3,071,929 issued Ian 8, 1963.

The invention of this divisional application rclates'to a hydraulic controlling and driving mechanism for operating movable machine elements in a predetermined program of motions. It is particularly but not exclusively suitable for operating such devices as machine tools, rnaterial handling equipment, assembly machines, testing, inspecting, sorting or packaging machines, and in fact any machinery where to and fro motions of machine elements require coordination of their timing, velocity, and acceleration patterns in repetitive cycles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanico'hydraulic drive and control system utilizing cams and hydraulic pulsators which is not only readily adaptable to a variety of machine motivation requirements with complete flexibility as to location as well as to program cycles, but which is also capable of very precise repetition of a predetermined program of movements.

Another object is to provide a system of this character F Re. 26,628 Ice Reissued July 15, 1969 which may be produced in a small number of standard ized versions for adaptation to a wide variety of machin cry motivation requirements.

Another object is to provide a device of this character where a number of hydraulic pulsator sections may be operated in coordination with one another from a central master cam means, and in which the cam means may be driven at more than one speed during a single cycle.

Another object is to provide a system of this character in which a rotary output shaft is automatically driven at one speed for a portion of each rotation and at another speed during another part of each rotation, the speed being changed in response to the angular position of the shaft itself.

Another object is to provide a system of this character wherein the cam means may be driven at more than one speed during a single cycle by means of a multi-spced gear box including selficontrolling mechanism capable of independent functioning and thus adaptable to a wide variety of motivation problems.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein two forms of the present invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a mechanico-hydraulic driving and control device incorporating one form of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the gear box of the control mechanism of the machine as viewed along the lines 33 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary part sectional view of the gar box shown in FIGURE 3 as viewed from the rear side of the machine, that is, from the top of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the gear box as viewed along the lines 55 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the cam box as viewed along the lines 6-6 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the cam box as viewed along the lines 7-7 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 as viewed along the lines 8-8 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is wiring diagram of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a mechanical and hydraulic diagram of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 11 is a diagram of a mechanicohydraulic driving and control system embodying another form of the present invention.

FIGURE 12 is a horizontal sectional view of a two speed transmission forming part of the device diagrammed in FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a horizontal sectional view of a cam case associated with the transmission of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a section on line 14-14 of FIGURE 12, showing the electrical cam mechanism.

FIGURE 15 is a view on line 1515 of FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 16 is a sectional view on line 16-16 of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 17 is a sectional view on line 1717 of FIG.- URE 16.

FIGURE 18 is a left end view, partly broken away, showing the mechanism of FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 19 is a right end view, partly broken away, showing the mechanism of FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 20 is an end view, partly in section, of the cam case illustrated in FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 21 is a side view of the cam case.

FIGURE 22 is a detailed view, partly in section, along the line 2222 of FIGURE 20.

FIGURE 23 is a sectional view along line 23-23 of FIGURE 22.

FIGURE 24 is a sectional diagram of a valve block forming part of the transmission of FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 25 is a view of the valve block looking at its mounting surface.

FIGURE 26 is a top view of the valve block shown in FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 27 is a view, partly in section, of a valve block cover plate.

FIGURE 28 is a sectional view along the line 28-28 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 29 is a sectional view along the line 2929 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 30 is a sectional view along the line 3030 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 31 is a sectional view along the line 3l31 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 32 is a sectional view along the line 3232 of FIGURE 25 FIGURE 33 is a side view of a cam for moving a hydraulic actuator, or transmitter.

FIGURE 34 is an enlarged section of the balancing valve shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 35 is an enlarged section of a diflerent form of balancing valve.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 through 12, there is provided a gear box 26, which in turn supports a cam box 28 at its front end and a motor 30 on its top face.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be noted that motor 30 drives a shaft 40 in gear box 26 through a belt 42. Shaft 40 is provided with a worm 44 which in turn meshes with a worm wheel 46 on a shaft 48 mounted in a bearing 50 within the gear box. A second shaft 52 mounted in bearings 54 and 56 is driven by shaft 48 through a reduction gearing 58. Shaft 52 in turn drives through gears 60 and 62 a gear 64. The hub 66 of gear 64 supports the driving member 68 of a feed clutch 70, and the hub 72 of worm wheel 46 supports the driving member 74 of a rapid traverse clutch 76. Hubs 66 and 72 are rotatably supported on shaft 78. The driven member 80 of clutch 70 is fixed on a disc 82, and the driven member 84 of clutch 76 is fixed to a disc 86. Discs 82 and 86 are keyed to shaft 78 as by Woodruff keys 88.

With this clutch arrangement, when clutch 76 is engaged, shaft 78 will have a relatively high speed of rotation corresponding to the speed of shaft 48. When clutch 76 is disengaged and clutch 70 is engaged, then the drive of shaft 78 will be effected through the gear train 58, shaft 52, gears 60, 62 and 64 and the shaft 78 will therefore be rotated at a much slower speed.

Clutches 70 and 76 are arranged to be actuated hydraulically, and this hydraulic mechanism will now be described:

Referring to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, shaft 40 drives a pump 90 which is mounted on a cover plate 92 which closes the opening 94 at one side of gear box 26. The lower portion of gear box 26 forms an oil reservoir which is preferably filled with oil to about the level indicated by the dashed line in FIGURE 3. The intake of pump 90 is connected by a conduit 96 with a filter 98 at the bottom of the oil reservoir. The outlet of pump 90 communicates with a conduit 100 (FIGURE which is formed in cover plate 92. A branch conduit 102 in cover plate 92 extends from the pump 90 to a conduit 104 (FIGURES 3 and 4) which connects with an accumulator 106 in the oil reservoir. Within the accumulator, there is arranged a piston 108 which divides the accumulator into an oil chamber 110 and an air chamber 112. A source of air under pressure is admitted to the air chamber 112; and as the oil pressure in chamber builds up by reason of the operation of pump 90, piston 108 is moved to the left as shown in FIGURE 3.

The outlet conduit 100 from pump 90 communicates with an inlet port .114 of a valve block 116 (FIG. 5). Valve block 116 is supported on cover plate 92 and is provided with bores 118, 120 and 122. Bore 118 is fashioned with a groove 124 which communicates by way of a passageway 126 in cover plate 92 with a lubricating manifold 128. A second annular groove 130 in bore 118 communicates with bore 120 by way of a port 154. The spring biased piston 132 in bore 118 serves as a pressure regulator and thus closes port 154 until the pressure reaches a predetermined value determined by the design of spring 133. Within bore 120, there is arranged a valve member 134 which is fashioned with spools 136 and 138. One end 140 of valve member 134 projects outwardly of valve block .116 and is biased into engagement with a crank 142 by means of a spring 144 at the opposite end of valve member 134. Bore 120 is fashioned with an annular exhaust groove 146. Bore 120 is also formed with a second annular groove 148 which connects as by a passageway 150 in cover plate 92 with a brake cylinder 152 also mounted on cover plate 92. Bore 120 is further provided with an annular groove forming a port 154 between bores 120 and 1.18 and with an annular groove forming a port 156 between bores 120 and 122. Within bore 122, there is arranged a valve member 158 which extends out of valve block 116 at one end as at 160 into engagement with a crank 162. A spring 164 at the other end of valve member 158 biases the end 160 of the valve member into engagement with crank 162. Valve member 158 is formed with spools 166, 168 and 170. Bore 122 is fashioned with spaced apart annular grooves 172 and 174. Groove 172 connects as by a passageway 176 in cover plate 92 with a passageway 178 in a distributor sleeve 180 on shaft 78, and annular groove 174 in bore 122 connects as by a passageway 182 with a passageway 184 in distributor sleeve 180.

As will be seen in FIGURE 3, passageway 178 com municates with a chamber 186 formed in clutch member 82 in which a piston 188 is arranged. Passageway 184 in distributor sleeve 180 connects with a chamber 190 formed in clutch member 86 and in which a piston 192 is movable. When oil under pressure is admitted to chamber 190, clutch 76 is engaged to rotate shaft 78 at a rapid rate; and when oil under pressure is admitted to chamber 186, clutch 70 is engaged to rotate shaft 78 at a much slower rate. Pistons 188 and 192 are biased by springs 194 to normally exhaust oil from the respective chambers and thereby disengage the respective clutches. In FIGURE 3, clutch 70 is shown in the engaged position and clutch 76 in the disengaged position. Likewise, in FIGURE 5, valve members 134 and .158 are shown in the positions they occupy to produce the engagement of clutch 70 and the disengagement of clutch 76. Thus, with these valve members in the positions indicated in FIGURE 5, oil under pressure discharged from pump 90 is caused to fiow into bore 118 through port 154 and into bore 120. Spools 136 and 138 on valve member 134 direct this oil under pressure to port 156 and into bore 122. Spools 166 and 168 direct this oil under pressure to annular groove 172 and thence through passageways 176 and .178 to the chamber 186 of clutch 70. At the same time, it will be observed that annular groove 174 communicates with an annular groove 196 which exhausts into the oil reservoir of the gear box. The other annular groove 198 in bore 122 which exhausts into the oil reservoir is blocked by spool 166. Thus, as oil is admitted to chamber 186 of clutch 70, piston 192 of clutch 76 moves under the influence of springs 194 to exhaust chamber 190 back through the valve block 116 and to the oil reservoir. If crank 162 is pivoted to the left as view in FIGURE 5, then spool 168 will seat on the land between annular groove 172 and port 156 nd spool 170 will seat on the land between annular grooves 174 and 196. In this position, port 156 communicates with passageway 182 which leads to chamber 190 of clutch 76; and piston 188 will exhaust oil from chamber 186 back to the bore 122 through the annular groove 172 and then to exhaust through the annular groove 198.

If crank 142 is pivoted to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 5, then valve member 134 will shift to the left under the influence of spring 144 to a position wherein spool .138 seats on the land betwen ports 154 and 156 and spool 136 seats on the land between grooves 146 and 148. In this position of valve member 134, the oil under pressure flowing through port 154 will be directed to the annular groove 148 and then through passageway 150 to the brake cylinder 152; and at the same time, the bore 122 will be opened to exhaust through port 156, bore 120 onto the right of spool 138 and the exhaust port 200 in the end plate 202 on valve block 1.16.

Within brake cylinder 152, there is arranged a piston 204 which is biased by a spring 206 in a direction to exhaust oil from the cylinder. Piston 204 is arranged to actuate a push rod 208 which is pivotally connected to one end of a brake band 210, FIGURE 4. Brake band 210 wraps around the drum portion 212 of the driven member 84 of clutch 76. The opposite end of brake hand 210 is held in an adjusted fixed position by a stud 214 (see FIGURE 4). Thus, with valve member 134 in the position illustrated in FIGURE 5, brake cylinder 152 connects with exhaust through passageway 150', annular groove 148 and annular groove 146. When valve member 134 is shifted to the left, then oil under pressure admitted to bore 120 through port 154 is directed to annular groove 148 and then through passageway 150 to the brake cylinder to apply the brake and thereby stop the rotation of shaft 78.

Accumulator 106 is provided so that the pump 90 can be of relatively small capacity. Under such circumstances, when either of the clutches is operated, the additional oil under pressure required to operate the clutches is supplied from the oil chamber 110 of the accumulator, which, by reason of the air pressure in chamber 112, serves as a reservoir for oil under pressure.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, it will be observed that the outer end of shaft 78 is journalled in a bearing 216 and has a keyed connection with one end of a hollow shaft 218 on cam box 28. The other end of shaft 218 is journalled in a bearing 220. Shaft 218 is formed with a keyway 222; and a series of cams 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 236 and 238 are keyed to rotate with this shaft. Cams 224 through 234 have cam followers associated therewith. These cam followers are in the form of rollers 240 and each is mounted on a piston 242.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 7 wherein the pistons associated with cams 228 and 226 are illustrated, it will be observed that the cam box 28 forms an oil reservoir 244. The top of the cam box is provided with a cover plate 246, and a diaphragm 248 is arranged adjacent the cover 246 so that air under pressure can be admitted to the space 250 above diaphragm 248 and thus maintain the oil in reservoir 244 under a predetermined relatively low pressure.

The pistons 242 and the valves associated therewith are constructed and operate substantially the same for each of the cams, and a description of one of these pistons will therefore suffice. Each piston 242 is slidably ararnged within a cylinder 252 (FIG. 10) and at the outer end of cylinder 252, there is mounted a valvebody 254. Valve body 254 is provided with a through passageway 256 which communicates with the outer end of cylinder 252 (FIGURE 34). An oil conduit 258a, b, c, d, e, or f, as the case may be, is connected with the outlet end of each cylinder 252. Each of the conduits 258 extends to the cylinder of one of the components of the machine the operation of which is hydraulically controlled, for example 304, 354, 356. There is thus provided a liquid column confined within each respective cylinder 2S2, conduit 258, and actuating cylinder of a machine component.

Valve body 254 is also fashioned with a bore 260 which intersects through passageway 256 at its lower end. A valve member 262 is biased by a spring 264 to seat on a valve seat 266 at the lower end of bore 260. The portion of valve 262 above seat 266 is provided with grooves 268 around its outer surface to permit the passage of oil around valve 262 when it is lifted ofi of seat 266. The intermediate portion of bore 260 is connected by a passageway 270 with reservoir 244. The tension of spring 264 and thus the pressure required to unseat valve 262 is controlled by an adjusting screw 272. Valve 262 is provided with a small bore 274 extending vertically therethrough, and this bore is normally closed at its lower end by a ball check 276 which is urged to seat in the end of bore 274 by a coil spring 278.

As is shown in FIGURES 6 and 8, cams 236 and 238 are arranged to actuate electric switches. Cam 238 has a pair of abutments 280 and 282 mounted thereon which are arranged to actuate switches 284 and 286, respectively. Switches 284 and 286 are in the nature of safety switches which are actuated each cycle of the machine; and if one of the machine components such as a work piece loader is not functioning properly, these switches are arranged to stop the operation of the machine. Cam 236 actuates a switch 288 which in turn energizes a solenoid 290 mounted on the side of gear box 26 (FIGS. 1, 5). The functional connection between the two is indicated by the dash line connecting them in FIG. 12. The armature of solenoid 290 (FIGURE 2) connects with a link 292 (FIGURES 4 and 5) which is pivotally connected to crank 162. Thus, during the period of each cycle that solenoid 290 is energized by switch 288, valve member 158 (FIG. 5) is shifted to the left so as to energize high speed clutch 76 and cause the shaft 78 and the cams on shaft 218 to rotate at the more rapid speed.

In the particular arrangement shown in FIG. 8, switch 288 is actuated when the follower 294 rides over the high side 296 of cam 236; and when the follower 294 engages the low side 298 of cam 236, solenoid 290 is de-energized and spring 164 shifts valve member 158 to the position shown in FIGURE 5 so as to energize clutch 70 and deenergize clutch 76 and thus rotate shaft 78 and the cams on shaft 218 at a relatively slow speed. A second solenoid 300 mounted at the side of gear box 26 has its armature connected to a link 302 which is in turn pivotally connected with the crank 142 (FIGURE 5) that actuates valve member 134. Solenoid 300 is energized through a manually actuated switch described hereinafter.

As mentioned previously, the conduits 258 each extend to the cylinder of one of the machine components that is hydraulically actuated. One of these conduits, namely, igglduit 258b, connects with a cylinder 304 (FIGURE Slidably mounted in cylinder 304 is a piston 340, which may be connected by means of a stud 334 with a table, slide, or carriage 24 of a machine tool or other device. Also pivoted to the stud 324 is a piston 342 slidable in a stationary cylinder 344. The inlet port 350 of cylinder 344 is connected by a conduit with a plenary volume liquid pressure source such as an accumulator 321. The several circles marked R0 in FIGURE 12 are intended to designate, preferably, a single accumulator and a manifold which connects all of the cylinder ends together to the common liquid pressure source. This may be a pressure vessel containing oil or other power transmitting liquid maintained under a high pressure by a body of compressed air or other gas. Such a device forms a convenient source of a plenary volume of liquid under pressure and which is available for utilization as required, although it will be understood that other sources, such as spring or weight-loaded accumulators, constant volume pumps with pressure relief valves, or variable volume 

